title: The Global Meningococcal Initiative: recommendations for reducing the global burden of meningococcal disease.
abstract: The Global Meningococcal Initiative (GMI) is composed of an international group of scientists, clinicians and public health officials with expertise in meningococcal immunology, epidemiology and prevention. The primary goal of the GMI is the promotion of the global prevention of invasive meningococcal disease through education and research. The GMI members reviewed global meningococcal disease epidemiology, immunization strategies, and research needs. Over the past decade, substantial advances in meningococcal vaccine development have occurred and much has been learned about prevention from countries that have incorporated meningococcal vaccines into their immunization programs. The burden of meningococcal disease is unknown for many parts of the world because of inadequate surveillance, which severely hampers evidence-based immunization policy. As the field of meningococcal vaccine development advances, global surveillance for meningococcal disease needs to be strengthened in many regions of the world. For countries with meningococcal vaccination policies, research on vaccine effectiveness and impact, including indirect effects, is crucial for informing policy decisions. Each country needs to tailor meningococcal vaccination policy according to individual country needs and knowledge of disease burden. Innovative approaches are needed to introduce and sustain meningococcal vaccination programs in resource-poor settings with a high incidence of meningococcal disease.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. lharriso@edc.pitt.edu
authors.forename: Lee H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Stephen I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Pelton
authors.forename: Annelies
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wilder-Smith
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holst
authors.forename: Marco A P
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Safadi
authors.forename: Julio A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Muhamed-Kheir
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Taha
authors.forename: F Marc
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: LaForce
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Gottberg
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
authors.forename: Stanley A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Plotkin
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011634:Public Health; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate